Indicator for serving tray



L. c. THOMAS 2,853,045

INDICATOR FOR SERVING TRAY- Filed Feb. 12, 1957 4 Lmaeuce 67m TTOQHEY This invention relates generally to an improved serving tray for beverages in bars, eating establishments and the like, having order indicating means thereon arranged to be significantly positioned by a waiter for instructing a bartender in filling orders for beverages, for example.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a serving tray incorporating changeable indicating means on its side wall whereby each individual order for a group of individual can be indicated and wherein the number of orders of the same kind can be indicated, so that the tray can be left with a bartender to prepare the orders indicated, and the waiter is freed to wait on other customers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a serving tray of the character indicated, which can be made In attractive, rugged and serviceable forms at relatively low cost, is easily used, and is highly satisfactory and acceptable for the purpose intended.

These together with other objects and advantages which will became apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, the several views and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a serving tray of the invention, showing indicating means in indicating positions;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken substantially on the plane of line 22 of Figurel;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken substantially on the plane of line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a further enlarged fragmentary horizontal section taken substantially on the plane of line 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken substantially on the plane of line 5-5 of Figure 2; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the indicating slides.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the illustrated tray,

' indicated generally at 10, constructed of any suitable material, such as a suitable plastic, conducive to mass production methods. The serving tray 10 comprises a bottom wall 14 and a flaring side wall 16 which is preferably slightly thicker than the bottom wall 14. The

flaring of the side wall 16 facilitates the stacking of a plurality of the trays.

The inner surface 18 of the side wall 16 is circumferentially divided into indicating areas 20, each of which has thereon indicia 21 identifying a different beverage, such as a beer, a wine or a soft drink. The outer side 22 of the side wall 16 is similarly circumferentially divided into indicating areas 24 registered with similar indicating arms 20 on the inner side of the side wall 16, so as to facilitate recognition of the indicating areas.

Opening through the upper edge 26 of the side wall 16, are vertical slots 28, each of which is positioned in an indicating area 20, 24. The slots 28 are charnpfered nited States Patent C) ice at 29 at the upper edge 26 of the side wall 16, as seen in Figures 2 and 3, to facilitate insertion of an indicating tab or slide 30 therein. The side wall 16 is constructed of material which is yieldable to permit snug insertion of slides 30 into the slots 28.

The tabs or slides 30 comprise elongated flat strips or bars of any suitable material, having on opposite sides thereof numerals, as indicated at 32 and 34, see Figure 1, reading downwardly from 1 through 4, and 1 through 8, respectively, for example. On the upper ends of the slides 30 are enlargements 35, whose inner and outer sides are knurled, as indicated at 36, to facilitate insertion, adjustment, and removal of the slides 30 from the slots 28. The series of numerals 32 and 34 indicate the number of drinks of the same kind ordered.

The opposite side edges of the slides 30 have therein vertically spaced notches 38.

The side wall 16 has extending inwardly from its outer side 22 at opposite sides of each slot 28, slots 40 which, at points intermediate their outer and inner ends, communicated with the side edges of the slot 28. U-shaped retaining elements 42 have legs 44 which extend inwardly in adjacent slots 40 and project slightly into opposite side edges of the slots 28, so that, when a slide 30 is inserted into a slot 28 the legs 44 are displaced outwardly until notches 38 in the slide reach the legs, whereat the legs 44 snap into the notches and releasably hold the slide in a selected vertical position to show above the upper edge 26 of the tray side wall 16, numerals 32 and 34 indicating the number of drinks ordered of the same kind directed by the slot area in which a particular slide 30 is positioned.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a serving tray, a bottom, a peripheral side wall on and rising from said bottom, said side wall having outer and inner sides and an upper edge, means circumferentially dividing a side of said side wall into indicating areas, indicia means identifying the areas, said side wall having vertical slots opening through the upper edge of the side wall, a single slot being located in each indicating area, indicating slides insertible in and removable from the slots, said slides comprising flat bars having outer and inner sides, side edges, and upper and lower ends, a side of the slides having a vertical series of numerals thereon to show above the upper edge of the tray side wall.

2. In a serving tray, a bottom, a peripheral side wall on and rising from said bottom, said side wall having outer and inner sides and an upper edge, means circumferentially dividing a side of said side wall into indicating areas, indicia means identifying the areas, said side wall having vertical slots opening through the upper edge of the side wall, a single slot being located in each indicating area, indicating slides insertible in and removable from the slots, said slides comprising flat bars having outer and inner sides, side edges, and upper and lower ends, a side of the slides having a vertical series of numerals thereon to show above the upper edge of the tray side wall, the side edges of the slides having therein vertically spaced notches between adjacent numerals of on and rising from said bottom, said side wall having outer and inner sides and an upper edge, means circumferentially dividing a side of said side wall into indicating areas, indicia means identifying the areas, said side wall having vertical slots opening through the upper edge of the side wall, a single slot being located in each indicating area, indicating slides inertinle in and removable from the 'slots, said slides comprising fiat bars having outer and inner sides, side edges, and upper and lower ends, a side of the slides having a vertical series of numerals thereon to show above the upper edge of the tray side wall, the sides edges of the slides having therein vertically spaced notches between adjacent numerals of said series, and resilient retaining means in the tray side Wall having vportions in the slots for retaining engagement with elected notches of the slides, said retaining means comprising U-shaped retainers having legs extending inwardly through the tray side wall, said slots having side edges into which said legs project.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,481,173 Wright Jan. 15, 1924 2,276,735 Miller Mar. 17, 1942 2,776,638 Whitaker Jan. 8, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,043,722 France Nov. 10, 1953 

